OPK frustration!!!!! Please help

[sherryvhkb]

I am TTC, just turned 40, had a TR in May, HSG last week shows one tube- I've been having longer cycles since TR- 30/32 bs my regular 28. Well today I am cd13, BD last night- yesterday's opk was neg. This AM positive- it seemed early but perhaps I'm back to normal, I felt hormonal for sure- then I retested 4 hours later using CB digital and it's negative!!!! When I remove the stick the line looks darker than the one that said positive!!! What the heck???? Do these work differently?? Pic included-the top test read pos. The bottom read neg.

[sherryvhkb]

the pic didnt work the first time:

[Jaimee]

You cannot remove the casing and compare lines with digitals.  It's just a straight yes/no situation.  The upside of digis is that there is no interpretation involved- your LH levels are either surging or they are not.  The downside is that you can easily miss your peak if you're not testing all the time.   OPK strips allow you to see the LH surge building toward a peak and give you an idea of when you might want to test twice a day (morning and night) to try and catch that peak.  In this case, remember that the test line must be darker than the control to be considered positive.  Also remember that you are likely to ovulate within 24-36 hours AFTER the positive, so you  need to keep DTD for several days after the peak day.

All this being said, though, OPK's are not the most reliable tests for a lot of women.  Some never see positives, some see positives for days on end, and others see positives at random times in their cycles like well beyond confirmed ovulation.  And OPK's cannot confirm ovulation for you.  All they do (if they are working) is tell you when your body is gearing up to ovulate, but not if it actually succeeded.  Women often gear up to O and don't succeed, only to gear up again in a few days or weeks.  So, I personally do not put a lot of stock in OPK's.

The best thing you could be doing is charting.  Charting your basal body temperature and cervical fluid will tell you when you are fertile, if/when you ovulate, how long your luteal phase is, when is a good time to test, when to expect AF, if you're pregnant and if there is anything of concern happening with your cycle.  Since you just had a TR, it would be very comforting and informative to see ovulation confirmed on your chart so you know what your chances are for that cycle.  With one tube, I assume ovulation will only occur every other cycle?  It would be fascinating and helpful to know for sure.  If you'd like more information about charting, just post!  Good luck!